New law kicks in shielding pedestrians from drivers

Drivers – including cyclists – must stop and wait until the entire road has been cleared at pedestrian crossovers and school crossings, when a guard is displaying a stop sign.

“It’s great to see the Ontario government commit to preventing injuries and saving lives. Bill 31 will have a lasting impact on making Ontario’s roads safer and Parachute looks forward to continuing to help implement this bill,” said Parachute Canada president and CEO Louise Logan.

The national charity is dedicated to preventing injuries.

“Mandatory yielding of the entire roadway at pedestrian and school crossings is important and also provides a great educational opportunity. We want to ensure Ontario roads remain some of the safest in North America,” Logan said.

These rules, as of Jan. 1 under the Making Ontario’s Roads Safer Act, apply at pedestrian crossovers identified with specific signs, road markings and lights — not pedestrian crosswalks at intersections with stop signs or traffic signals, unless a school crossing guard is present.